Spain as one of the biggest and influential EU member states supports in general Turkey but it never states that it supports a direct membership of Turkey in the EU. In other words, Madrid focuses on the candidacy itself rather than membership, explained the analyst with the European Strategies and Policies Institute|ESPI Bozhana Stoeva, a specialist on Spain, during the discussion Turkey And The EU: Formulas For Common Future, organised jointly by euinside, espi and StratCom on July 13. It is interesting to note that it was during the Spanish Presidency of the EU in 2010 when was opened for now the only chapter from the accession negotiations for a long time.

Bozhana Stoeva made a comprehensive analysis of the very consistent, by the way, policy of a series of Spanish governments in terms of Turkey, based on pragmatism and trade interest. An important element of these pragmatic relations, though, is the cooperation between Spain and Turkey in the development of the Spanish initiative for the creation of the intercultural dialogue platform Alliance of Civilisations. The issue on which Ms Stoeva spoke was Spain And Turkey: A Demonstration Of Solidarity, Common Interests Or "Invisible Opportunities'? With her statement concludes the first panel of the discussion, entitled Turkey: A Neighbour And A Partner In The EU.

Soon are to be subtitled in English the three speakers in the second panel.

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